In the Scriptures we have an example in the story of the Parting of the Red Sea:
“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD swept the sea with a strong east wind throughout the night and so turned it into dry land. When the water was thus divided, the Israelites marched into the midst of the sea on dry land, with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.” ~ Exodus 14, 21
In this story, God does not magically transport the fleeing Israelites to the other side, rather He opens a path for them through which they must walk to escape the oppressive Egyptians. Some might think, how does this relate to us and our lives? Well it reinforces the point that God doesn’t use His power, though He could, to make your life as easy and as comfortable as possible. God doesn’t make us do anything. He has created us in His image (Genesis 1, 26), therefore giving us the freedom to do as we wish, even if it is against His will. He doesn’t just snap His fingers and take away our pain or wave His hand and free us of our misery. Instead He provides us with an opportunity, giving us the decision to choose how we shall react.
Just as the Israelites did, we must embark on that journey across the Red Sea, but in our case it’s not simply a body of water. Perhaps He opens the door for us to give up an addiction, but we must decide if we will quit or not. He provides us a way out of suffering and gives us hope through Jesus, but we must make the changes in our attitudes and our lifestyles. In the end it is we who are responsible for ourselves. No one person can say that they are destined to failure, because God gives us all the opportunity to be happy.
We are not children anymore and we must take responsibility for our own lives. If we choose to be lazy or unproductive, then we will suffer the consequences. But if we choose to stand up on our own two feet, stop blaming others, and take control of our lives, God will lead us to a life of abundant blessing.
Photo by Miguel Saavedra.